as in chat
friendly, informal conversation or an instance of this
at the corporate get-together we made the obligatory small talk with some people from the home office
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of small talk
Most players are not breaking the Official Secrets Act and are most likely just having the sort of small talk any colleagues would in an office environment.
—
Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2026
But Lilian’s least favorite activity was small talk.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
And small talk may help to pass the time but doesn’t invest that time with learning or vibrance or novelty.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Accomplish any tasks that are genuinely necessary, but leave room for pleasantries and small talk too.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for small talk
Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2026
But Lilian’s least favorite activity was small talk.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
And small talk may help to pass the time but doesn’t invest that time with learning or vibrance or novelty.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Accomplish any tasks that are genuinely necessary, but leave room for pleasantries and small talk too.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for small talk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small talk
Noun
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Sign up here to receive an email right as the chat is about to start.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
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The video blew up on Chinese social media, becoming a top trending topic and reaching more than 90 million views on Douyin and Weibo, two major platforms – with the video quickly spawning countless memes and group-chat discussions.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But the proposal was full of cartoonishly goofy faux spy talk.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Pakistan said Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt will send top diplomats to Islamabad for talks aimed at ending the war, arriving Sunday for a two-day visit.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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On the conference sidelines, expect plenty of chatter about AI and the overall electricity supply crunch.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
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But even though right when the divorce was announced, there were reports that Urban had already moved on, there hasn’t really been much chatter about Kidman possibly doing the same.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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When the table talk turns political, Hagains suggests shifting your approach instead of your mood.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Nov. 2025
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Each monthly box includes three recipe guides, skill lessons, a kitchen tool, a kitchen project, an apron patch, table talk cards, and a grocery list.—
Jessica Booth,
Parents,
16 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Small talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small%20talk. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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